Senate freezes gun bill in hopes of new compromise

Apr. 19, 2013
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by Gregory Korte, USA TODAY

by Gregory Korte, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "hit a pause" on the gun bill Thursday while senators see whether they can find a workable compromise on strengthening background checks on gun purchases.

"I've spoken with the president," Reid, D-Nev., told the Senate on Thursday. "He and I agree that the best way to keep working toward passing a background check bill is to hit a pause and freeze the background-check bill where it is."

One possible way forward: A broader exemption for rural areas that would allow those who don't live near a federally licensed dealer to buy guns at gun shows or over the Internet without a background check.

"There are ways to create broader exceptions," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a champion of stricter gun control since 26 people - including 20 children - were shot and killed Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. "We are going back to the table on that issue."

On Wednesday, the Senate blocked a compromise that would have expanded background checks to gun shows and Internet sales, but left an exception for private sales. The vote was 54-46, but it needed 60 votes to pass under an agreement to avoid a filibuster.

On Thursday, Reid moved the Senate on to other business, but he pledged that "we're going to come back to this bill," and even outlined a number of amendments that will get votes. Among them: a proposal by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., for do-it-yourself background checks, and one from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., to to allow community mental health clinics to receive Medicaid reimbursement.

Republicans won't oppose coming back to the gun issue. The No. 2 Republican in the Senate said Thursday that he hoped Democrats "would not choose to quit." Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the Senate could still do more to improve the federal background check system - especially in adding mental health and drug abuse records.

Thursday's action would allow the Senate to come back to guns without having to "start at square one," Reid said, after the Senate adopted two amendments Thursday. They were:

â?¢ An amendment on privacy, sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. The amendment would withhold 5% of a state's community-oriented policing grant money if government officials release gun ownership information, except as part of law enforcement or court proceedings. That amendment was adopted, 67-30, far exceeding the 60-vote threshold after red-state Democrats crossed over to vote with Republicans.

The day before, the Senate rejected seven amendments that would have banned assault weapons, limited the size of ammunition magazines and cracked down on straw buyers who evade background checks by purchasing a gun for someone who wouldn't be able to legally buy one.

But the amendment that carried the most hope for gun-control advocates was an amendment to close what they call the "gun-show loophole."

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., one of the architects of that failed compromise, accused the National Rifle Association of lying about the amendment. He said without the NRA's decision to "score" the amendment - that is, include it in the letter grades they send out on each lawmaker at election time - "we would have gotten 70 votes," he said.

But Cornyn said background checks "celebrate symbolism over solutions."

"It's absolutely false to say it comes down to politics," Cornyn said. "I'm not worried about the gun lobby. I don't work for them. I work for 26 million Texans. ... The views I represent in the United States Senate are their views. I'm accountable to them, and no one else."